RMGYMss.
BOOK OF HOURS LEAF Ref 58 verso Historiated Initial
THE DESCRIPTION OF THIS LEAF HAS BEEN AMENDED AS A RESULT OF FURTHER INFORMATION BECOMING AVAILABLE
A leaf with a historiated initial from a Book of Hours for the Use of Liège Flanders c. 1300-1310.
The text is from the Hour of Matins being Psalm 95, from the middle of Verse 9 to the end, followed by the Antiphon "Corde et voce" and then by Psalm 8, Verses 1-4. It is distinctly possible that the text is not from the “Hours of the Blessed Virgin Mary” but from “The Hours of the Nativity of the Virgin” (see provenance below).
The size of the leaf is 92mm x 70mm (3 5/8ins. X 2 7/10ins.).
PROVENANCE: -
A
1. The addition of “Gand 1903” would indicate that a previous owner probably purchased this leaf in Ghent in 1903 and that it had been separated from its original manuscript by that time.
2. Became part of the stock of Bernard Quaritch Ltd. In the 1980’s and was sold to America.
3. Remained in America until re-purchased by Bernard Quaritch Ltd. Late 2000.
4. Purchased from Bernard Quaritch Ltd. December 2000.
B
Walters Art Museum Ref. W.37 is a Book of Hours for the Use of Liège that has included in it the Hours of the Nativity of the Virgin. In Walters Ref. W.37, the Hours of the Nativity of the Virgin begin imperfectly with the first of nine lessons in Matins. My leaf includes part of the text missing in Walters Ref. W.37 and also has the double pricking 3mm apart for penultimate horizontal that Walters Ref. W.37 has. The four-line historiated miniature of a saint orant on my leaf is remarkably similar to those in the Walters manuscript. The Walters Art Museum have been contacted regarding this leaf and they are not altogether convinced that it is one of those missing from their Ref. W.37, they think it is probably from the Hours of the Virgin rather than the Nativity of the Virgin.
The Hours of the Nativity of the Virgin is a rare text and I have only found one other reference to those Hours on the Internet and that is State Library of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia, RARES 096 R66 with the Hours of the Nativity of the Virgin at folios 131-140. The Antiphon "Corde et voce" does not appear in the same place in that manuscript.
GENERAL COMMENTS:-
This is a charming leaf from a finely decorated pocket size Book of Hours with a magnificent historiated initial of a standing saint.
The Psalter was the prayer book of the faithful from the 9th. to the 13th.Centuries during which time it gradually acquired many of the elements that were to become the components of the Book of Hours. By the end of the 12th. Century the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin had been incorporated. The separation from the Psalter of the texts that formed the Book of Hours did not take place until about 1240 (The de Brailes Hours). The manuscript from which this leaf comes was written not too many years after the de Brailes Hours.
See the detail scan for descriptions of the miniatures.
BOOK OF HOURS LEAF Ref 58 verso Historiated Initial
THE DESCRIPTION OF THIS LEAF HAS BEEN AMENDED AS A RESULT OF FURTHER INFORMATION BECOMING AVAILABLE
A leaf with a historiated initial from a Book of Hours for the Use of Liège Flanders c. 1300-1310.
The text is from the Hour of Matins being Psalm 95, from the middle of Verse 9 to the end, followed by the Antiphon "Corde et voce" and then by Psalm 8, Verses 1-4. It is distinctly possible that the text is not from the “Hours of the Blessed Virgin Mary” but from “The Hours of the Nativity of the Virgin” (see provenance below).
The size of the leaf is 92mm x 70mm (3 5/8ins. X 2 7/10ins.).
PROVENANCE: -
A
1. The addition of “Gand 1903” would indicate that a previous owner probably purchased this leaf in Ghent in 1903 and that it had been separated from its original manuscript by that time.
2. Became part of the stock of Bernard Quaritch Ltd. In the 1980’s and was sold to America.
3. Remained in America until re-purchased by Bernard Quaritch Ltd. Late 2000.
4. Purchased from Bernard Quaritch Ltd. December 2000.
B
Walters Art Museum Ref. W.37 is a Book of Hours for the Use of Liège that has included in it the Hours of the Nativity of the Virgin. In Walters Ref. W.37, the Hours of the Nativity of the Virgin begin imperfectly with the first of nine lessons in Matins. My leaf includes part of the text missing in Walters Ref. W.37 and also has the double pricking 3mm apart for penultimate horizontal that Walters Ref. W.37 has. The four-line historiated miniature of a saint orant on my leaf is remarkably similar to those in the Walters manuscript. The Walters Art Museum have been contacted regarding this leaf and they are not altogether convinced that it is one of those missing from their Ref. W.37, they think it is probably from the Hours of the Virgin rather than the Nativity of the Virgin.
The Hours of the Nativity of the Virgin is a rare text and I have only found one other reference to those Hours on the Internet and that is State Library of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia, RARES 096 R66 with the Hours of the Nativity of the Virgin at folios 131-140. The Antiphon "Corde et voce" does not appear in the same place in that manuscript.
GENERAL COMMENTS:-
This is a charming leaf from a finely decorated pocket size Book of Hours with a magnificent historiated initial of a standing saint.
The Psalter was the prayer book of the faithful from the 9th. to the 13th.Centuries during which time it gradually acquired many of the elements that were to become the components of the Book of Hours. By the end of the 12th. Century the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin had been incorporated. The separation from the Psalter of the texts that formed the Book of Hours did not take place until about 1240 (The de Brailes Hours). The manuscript from which this leaf comes was written not too many years after the de Brailes Hours.
See the detail scan for descriptions of the miniatures.